Gov. Lee’s Background as a Businessman Doesn’t Guarantee a Budget that Benefits all Tennesseans

March 4, 2019

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Peter Calvet, owner of Fantasy Flora, issued the following response to Governor Bill Lee’s State of the State address:

“In his State of the State address, Gov. Bill Lee cited his past as a businessman to establish credibility for his budget as a public servant. As a small business owner, a budget for my business has nothing in common with a budget that benefits all Tennesseans. The former is profit-driven to maximize business, the latter should be people-driven designed to maximize the well-being of all Tennesseans.

“Lee explains that his budget prioritizes ‘what is needed.’ We applaud Lee’s plan to allocate funding to help Tennesseans struggling with mental and behavioral health issues. However, we have to ask: Why stop there? Is there not a need to ensure every Tennessean has access to health care?”